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Office of Cannabis Management Policy Bill Passes Off House Floor
An amendment regarding municipal cannabis licensing was added during the floor discussion.
On April 18, the House passed HF 4757 (Rep. Zack Stephenson, DFL-Coon Rapids) — the Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) bill that would make changes to the laws regulating cannabis and related products. The bill was passed on a 69-62 vote.
During floor discussions, Rep. Jon Koznick (R-Lakeville) proposed an amendment that would allow local governments to receive licenses without those licenses counting toward the one cannabis business per 12,500 resident minimum for cannabis business registrations. The amendment was accepted on a voice vote.
The Senate bill, SF 4782 (Sen. Lindsey Port, DFL-Burnsville), has a similar but different provision that would grant local units of government temporary licenses after social equity temporary licenses have been issued. The Senate bill is currently in the Senate Commerce and Consumer Protection Committee where it must be approved before it goes to the floor for a vote.
What’s in the bill?
The bills would make numerous changes to the existing regulatory structure for cannabis. Most notably for issuing licenses, the bill moves from a points-based system to a lottery system. It would create a temporary license for social equity applicants to gain planning or zoning approval as well as raise capital prior to growing or possessing any cannabis products.
The bills would maintain the requirement that OCM is not able to issue an endorsement to a cannabis business if that business does not meet local zoning and land use laws. The bills would also accelerate the transition of cannabis regulatory authority from the Office of Medical Cannabis to the OCM by July 1, 2024.
View more details of the OCM’s proposed changes (pdf).
What’s next?
After the Senate bill is passed by the full chamber, a conference committee comprised of House and Senate members will be created to work out the differences between the two chambers’ bills.